Monday, January 10, 2011

Is this a disgrace?

Experience warns to be very careful when the BNP – or any political party – seeks to exploit a situation for propaganda purposes. But the idea of a candidate at a hustings, member of a lawful political party, being forcibly removed by the police at the behest of another candidate, is repugnant. And that is what appears to have happened here.

Outside, we are told, the police apologised to the candidate, Mr Derek Adams, saying that they "were just doing their job". One wonders whether any of the police involved were aware of the irony, and of the so-called "Nuremberg" defence?

But if this situation is as is presented, then it is an outrage, not least also the members of the audience who appear to have been shouting "out, out, out" when the police took their action, and the apparent quiescence of the other candidates, including the very visible Tory candidate.